Procedural justice and police legitimacy are subjects that are of concern today and cannot be wished away because they directly affect the community. Whenever it comes to the discussion of the Law enforcement the subject takes the centre stage. The subject broadly envisages the trust the police has on the communities on which they enforce the law. The sensitivity of the matter has made it today to be galvanised into a single subject despite the fact that the two developed several decades ago as independent subjects (Gau, Jacinta 4). There are different principles on which the concepts have been founded, and a lot of information have been combined so that the concepts can be much better understood and effectively implemented to create harmony between the involved parties; the police and the community they serve. There are four major components governing procedural justice; Neutrality or simply being fair on justice dispensation, listening to the inner voice, Treating the subjects with respect, and the essence of trust on the community by the law enforcers. Diverse approaches have been created and used for some time in creating harmony and a working partnership between the law enforcement agencies and all other stakeholders in the process to the actualization of procedural justice and ensuring that the Police execute their responsibility with due diligence.
Procedural Justice
Procedural Justice revolves around the act of being fair and transparent whenever it comes to decision making. It can alternatively be perceived as an act of distributive justice; being fair whenever giving penalties for the offenses committed by the subjects. Whenever one is charged with the responsibility to administer justice, they should remain non-partisan and penalize the victim according to the law but not do so with malice or favour. All the involved individuals should be heard fairly before any verdicts are made. A fair hearing is a considerable step and is acceptable by all as appropriate when it comes to procedural justice. Once adhered to the ensuing judgment of the situation will be considered a due process in administering justice to the victims.
Equitable outcomes have been witnessed according to justice procedural theories. The theory emphasizes that whenever a fair procedure is held justice must always prevail (Reisig et al. 6). The outcome must always be quality according to interpersonal interactions as the process of procedural justice broadly discusses. Whenever there is conflict resolution, an act of fairness always has a positive impact on the perception of all the involved parties.
Police Legitimacy
The subject of Police Legitimacy asserts that the police deserve to be given their space when it comes to discharging their responsibilities. They should be well endowed with the authority to enable them effectively exercise the duty if law enforcement so that law and order can be maintained among the subjects. This way, conflicts can easily and effectively manage, and the emanating problems in the community can be readily solved. The Police legitimacy can be anchored on three Perspectives or judgments; the most significant is the trust the community has on the police and to what stretch can the public confide in the police.
For there to be confidence in the police the community should believe and be sure that the police are always honest when discharging their duties and that, they are doing the same to the best of their abilities. Besides, the community should understand that the police are simply in existence for their well-being in that they protect the community from possible violence and crime. Secondly, Legitimacy brings out the picture that the subjects should be willing to recognize the authority of the police. The entire community within which any police unit operates is obligated so submit to their authority and take the responsibility of accepting that the police are the enforcement unit of the law. Lastly, Police legitimacy should be perceived that the actions of the police are morally justified and are deserving of the arising situation. The superseding view should be that the police the police have always acted in the interest of the people they serve and not on their interest or that of the agencies they belong to. A conflict of interest would arise should the police become partisan in their duty and as such would result in a state of lawlessness which might not of any positive impact to any well-meaning community.
The minority in most communities and the racially maligned would in most instances perceive that the law enforcement agencies, the police are unlawful. This is founded on the relationship the police often have with latter. Such perception creates distrust between the police unit and the communities. Such distrust may have distasteful consequences. The relationship between the police and the subset in the community would remain course. Such would greatly undermine the legitimacy of the police and by extension the law enforcement process. So long as the police have been tagged illegitimate, they may lose their moral obligation, and the unit may become defunct as they would not have the authority or the ability to effectively execute their duties.
Any society that would want to be free and safe, effective law enforcement should be the pillar that or the fabric that holds the community together. Effective law enforcement would mean accountability, integrity and there will be cooperation between the involved parties. Such a community would be open to new ideas and service dispensation would be quick. The community would be more liveable, and it will be open to development. It would be a community in which mutual respect is upheld and would easier to nip any emanating animosities to ensure the entire community is in order.
There are principles that govern the Police legitimacy and Procedural justice. The principles are designed to ensure that the police are always safe when discharging the responsibilities and that the same must never be compromised. Again, the principles identify that the objective of the community policing should be achieved. The principles emphasizes on Fairness, respect impartiality, vigilance and establishment of unblemished trust between the agency and the community they serve. The moment the police are sworn to take up their duty they should remain true to the law right from the beginning to the end of the career. The job principles of the must be upheld whether they are on or off duty (Mazerolle et al. 12). The community must also observe discipline and adhere to the law. If the police legitimacy is deteriorated, the focus should turn positive encounters among involved parties to foster for rebuilding the lost confidence. This will grossly depend on the actions of the individual officers. There is also need for across the board consultations. Reconstructing the confidence would uphold police legitimacy, and the community would have an imperative view on the force so that they can effectively maintain the social order, solve the arising problems as well as manage the possible conflicts.
Works Cited
Gau, Jacinta M. “Procedural justice and police legitimacy: A test of measurement and structure.” American Journal of Criminal Justice 39.2 (2014): 187-205.
Mazerolle, Lorraine, et al. “Procedural justice and police legitimacy: A systematic review of the research evidence.” Journal of experimental criminology 9.3 (2013): 245-274.
Reisig, Michael D., Justice Tankebe, and Gorazd Mesko. “Compliance with the law in Slovenia: The role of procedural justice and police legitimacy.”European Journal of Criminal Policy and Research 20.2 (2014): 259-276.
